Comparisons
The city academy programme was originally based on the programme of City Technology Colleges (CTCs) created by the Conservative government in the 1980s, which were also business-sponsored. One of the proposed city academies is Dixons CTC, once sponsored by the retailer Dixons. Currently the Government is encouraging CTCs to convert to Academies; several have already done so (for example, Djanogly CTC is now Djanogly City Academy). Previously this school performed extremely well, but since becoming an Academy, is now at the bottom of the league tables. Academies differ from CTCs in several ways; most notably, Academies cannot select pupils (whereas CTCs can). Also, Academies are designed specifically to be part of the overall education provision in the areas in which they are built, and have consistently been stated as part of the wider strategy on education; CTCs were not built with local provision or need in mind and were mostly "parachuted" into areas with little thought as to the effect it would have on other schools.[citation needed]

In some respects comparisons may be drawn between city academies and US charter schools.